The Dark Library: A Novel

Not yet published: Expected Jun 24, 2025

"Evans delivers an elaborate historical mystery...fans of gothic suspense will be delighted."--Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story." --Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists' Daughter

Can a family's dark history repeat itself?

Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades--and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything--the whispers, the rumors, the secrets--is her father's library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.

Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father's name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House? And who will Estella be, if she gathers enough courage to find that answer? What she will discover is that no one can escape the secrets hidden in this dark library.

Suspenseful and unsettling but ultimately triumphant, The Dark Library by acclaimed author Mary Anna Evans is a compelling tale of mystery, family secrets, and the quest for truth.

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384 pages

Average rating: 8

1 RATING

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Community Reviews

datewithathriller
Jun 13, 2025
8/10 stars
I love a good gothic mystery and this was definitely one of those!! Was giving some Hitchcock vibes! 🙌 Had some great twists and turns! I loved the Estella (E) character and the other strong female characters!! Recommend checking this one out, book peeps! 👏 Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Mary Anna Evans for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! I will definitely be checking out more of the author’s work!! ❤️

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